In 2018, Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities after over a decade of procrastination. The argument was that the Government did not want to make international commitments until it was ready to do so. Since then, progress on disability rights has been, to say the least, miserable. On January…
Letter of the week ETB schools neglecting faith formation Dear Editor, The article by Fr Martin Delaney in the July 4 edition of The Irish Catholic was very apt, articulate and welcome. It was most timely for many of us: pastoral leaders, concerned parents and board of school management members, who are trying our best,…
Bishops and prominent prelates from around the world have joined the French Bishops’ Conference and US bishops in criticising the Paris Olympics opening ceremony held on July 26 for its depiction of the Last Supper, calling it a deeply deplorable derision of Christianity. The controversial scene, part of the €1.5 billion spectacle to kick off the…
The Hozana Association has launched a new app called ‘Rosary’ with the aim of supporting Olympic athletes through prayer. Cassandre Verhelst, a spokesperson for Hozana, spoke with this paper, encouraging the Irish Church to participate in the Olympics spiritually. “We thought the initiative was great and wanted to allow people to participate in the Olympics…
Pope Francis has appointed a Dublin diocesan priest as an Archbishop-elect. Monsignor John Kennedy is currently Secretary of the Disciplinary Section of the Dicastery for the Congregation of the Faith at the Vatican. The body has a Doctrinal and Disciplinary section each coordinated by a Secretary who assists the Prefect in the specific area of…
Bishop Johan Bonny confirmed on July 25 that he was withdrawing from the high-profile role of key man on abuse, citing an excessive workload that he said was taking a toll on his health. His departure leaves the Belgian Church scrambling to find a successor before Pope Francis’ September 26-29 visit, which is expected to include…
The Bishops of Derry and Dublin have both announced that parishes in their respective dioceses are to be merged in recent days in order to better manage the prevailing challenges impacting parishes, namely the falling numbers of priests in active ministry. The Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown has announced that three Catholic parishes in counties…
Jarlath Burns, President of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and a proud Armagh man, whose son played in Sunday’s All Ireland final, stands also for his personal commitments. As a symbol of dedication, Burns wears two medals. On one lapel, he displays the medal of his office as GAA President. On the other, he proudly…
The bishops of the Chaldean Synod on July 16 issued a statement declaring their position on the blessing of same-sex unions as well as the necessity of protecting children from sexual abuse. The synod emphasised “the necessity of protecting children from sexual harassment and raising awareness among priests about its dangers”, stressing the importance of…
A priest is suing the gay dating and “hookup” app Grindr after the company reportedly failed to protect his data, leading to his resignation from a top position at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In July 2021, Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill resigned from his post as the general secretary of the USCCB ahead of a report…